Friday, January 24, 2014

Over Half of My Life

A couple nights ago, I came across my old diary. It covered the year before I met Ben up until I had Nephi. I thought it would be fun to read through it. When I started, I had no idea the memories and feelings that would come flooding back. I remembered the joy of coming home from my LDS mission, then the loneliness that followed. How hard it was that I couldn't seem to get a date. I felt like there was a huge hole in my heart and I didn't know how to fill up the void. I was depressed. I cried a lot.

Then I finally started dating a little and it gave me hope for the future I wanted. And then I met Ben. After our first date, I wrote that I knew I was going to marry him. And 5 weeks later I did!! (For full story click here and here)

I talked about pregnancy and the ups and down. I talked about some struggles we had with school and finding jobs. I remembered all the hard times and all the amazing adventures! When I finished, I sat back and it really hit me how much I have changed. How much I have grown. I wanted to go back in time and tell that girl how wonderful life was going to be for her!! That dreams were going to come true! That now, 10 years later, she has 3 kids and that Ben has an amazing job and that we are getting ready to purchase our first home in Texas!!! She probably won't believe me... so I would most likely give her a hug and tell her that everything was going to be FANTASTIC!

I also started thinking about back when I first met Ben. He was 14 and I was 16. Then I realized something crazy! This last summer marked the half-life anniversary! That means, that I have known Ben for over half of my life! Ben, on the other hand, reached that point 2 years ago... since he is younger.

This is what Ben looked like when we met:

Looks a LOT like my little Nephi, doesn't he??

This is what I looked like:

You can totally tell here that we are 2 years apart. There is a huge difference between the age of 14 and 16. Ben was shorter than me those days... (A HUGE thanks to my old high school friend, Sara, for sending me these year book photos! Kind of funny to think they were in the SAME year book and we never had a clue that one day we would hook up!)

Then his Jr year he shot up a bit:

And even a little more his Sr. year...

And while he was finishing High school still, I was getting ready to finish up college:

Then I left for a mission for the LDS church:

Ben left for one as well 6 months later:

Then came that special day we finally met up again!

And got engaged:

Yes... I think we made an odd couple... at first.

But I think we grew into each other pretty well over the years!!

And you have to admit... we do make some pretty cute kids :)

And it goes to show that love has no bounds. Not where eternity matters. And neither does happiness. I have to admit, the half of my life with Ben has been the VERY best half hands down! And I look forward to MANY more years together!

AND if I haven't embarrassed him enough... This is a Facebook status I posted a few days ago:

Ben and I aren't very lovey dovey on Facebook or in public places. We just don't roll that way, we keep our feelings for each other very private. But I want to step outside my private box, and say what an incredible man I have. He doesn't get a lot of kudos for his hard work, mainly because he is a very low-key, humble guy, so this wife has to toot his horn every once in a while. The sacrifices he has made for this family are countless. He works harder than other man I have ever met -- and that's saying something. Ben has worked so hard in this training this week, he has had a total of 4 hours of sleep since he woke up on Sunday morning. Since we got here, he has been getting maybe 10 hours of sleep a week. I honestly don't know how he functions... if I don't get my 8 hours per night I am useless. But this man presses on. Does assignment after assignment, taking tests, and still doing hard PT in the mornings with his Marine instructors. THEN instead of coming home and saying how wonderful he is and how he "deserves" special treatment, he holds me in his arms and tells me how amazing I am. ME?! Seriously!? He told me last night how he knows how hard I work to keep the boys out of his hair so he can study and how he knows that it isn't easy for me to keep the peace. AND THEN instead of kicking back and chilling out, which he totally earned, he helps me with dishes or laundry or cleaning AND still has a moment to tell me how beautiful I am and how blessed he is to have me. Wow. I am the blessed one! I get to be married to my best friend and soul mate! PLUS I get a hottie in uniform! Doesn't it get any better? So a shout out to my one and only, Ben sd-- a most amazing man.

3 comments:

How very cool. I was just thinking back in Nov when my hubby and I celebrated 22 years of being together.... WOW! That really IS a LONG time! We will celebrate 17 years of marriage in May. Thanks for sharing your story. It is cool to get to know people through blogs.